Light dimming systems are used to control multiple lighting circuits which may be widely separated from each other by a substantial distance, for example in a restaurant, a large meeting hall or in a theater. The lighting circuits are connected to power dimmers so that the intensity of the lights can be controlled collectively, individually or in groups whereby a variety of different combinations of lighting levels may be selected for achieving different lighting effects (scenes).
Typically, each light or group of lights is selectively controlled through a power dimmer, which is in turn connected to an individual controller or operator switch. In such a system, separate sets of wires run from a central controller to each light or group of lights. Sometimes, dimmers are included along with wall-mounted toggle switches for controlling the level of power supplied to each of the lighting circuits. Such dimmers usually take the form of rheostats which are manually set to the desired level of brightness. Consequently, even for small installations, a large amount of wiring is necessary to connect all of the lights with their respective power dimmers, and to connect the power dimmers to their respective controllers.